Since World War II, cities have become the primary target of armed violence, experiencing the majority of casualties and devastation. It is not surprising that the local governments of some of the most affected cities gradually emerged as strenuous advocates for peace.
The 2024 edition of the Urban Peace Dialogues convened mayors and representatives of three “cities of memory”, Cassino, Dunkirk, and Dortmund. This official UNECE Forum of Mayors hybrid event featured a moderated discussion around both the destructive impact of armed violence on cities and the constructive impact of resilience, reconstruction, and reconciliation.
The event was organized in partnership with the United States Mission to the United Nations and Other International Organizations in Geneva and the Cities of Remembrance Network.
The event built on the previous editions of the Urban Peace Dialogues held at the Forum of Mayors in 2022 and 2023.
Photo Gallery
3rd Urban Peace Dialogues at the Palace of Nations, Geneva 
Dr. Lorenzo Kihlgren Grandi, Founding Director, City Diplomacy Lab 
Ms. Julie Perng, Senior Advisor to the Special Representative, Subnational Diplomacy Unit, U.S. Department of State 
3rd Urban Peace Dialogues | Round Table 
Mr. Enzo Salera, Mayor of Cassino, Italy 
Ms. Ayan Huseynova, Urban Diplomacy Officer, Department for Mayoral and City Council’s Affairs, City of Dortmund 
Océane Guillon, Head of International Partnerships, Greater Dunkirk Council, and Coordinator, Cities of Remembrance Network 
3rd Urban Peace Dialogues | Family Photo
Program
Opening remarks:
- Dr. Lorenzo Kihlgren Grandi, Founding Director, City Diplomacy Lab
- Ms. Julie Perng, Senior Advisor to the Special Representative, Subnational Diplomacy Unit, U.S. Department of State
Panel Discussion:
- Mr. Enzo Salera, Mayor of Cassino, Italy
- Ms. Océane Guillon, Head of International Partnerships, Greater Dunkirk Council, and Coordinator, Cities of Remembrance Network
- Ms. Ayan Huseynova, Urban Diplomacy Officer, Department for Mayoral and City Council´s Affairs, City of Dortmund
- Dr. Lorenzo Kihlgren Grandi, Founding Director, City Diplomacy Lab (Chair)
Highlights
In his opening remarks, City Diplomacy Lab Director Lorenzo Kihlgren Grandi emphasized the unique role and message of cities of memory in international relations. That distinctiveness is based on their demonstrated ability to halt the spiral of hatred despite facing the profound injustice of massive civilian casualties and destruction. Instead, they choose “a path of resilience that has led as much to reconstruction as it has to reconciliation.”
Julie Perng, Senior Advisor to the Special Representative at the U.S. Department of State’s Subnational Diplomacy Unit, emphasized the role of local leaders in strengthening global democracy and foreign policy. “Connecting with each other is not only a powerful way to lift up our communities, but it also sends a strong message on the importance of exchange and cooperation and on local leadership to address threats to democracy and peace.”
Enzo Salera, the Mayor of Cassino, scene of one of the most destructive and deadly land battles of World War II, resulting in the destruction of the city and its famous abbey, illustrated how their annual celebrations involve students from nations who fought against each other on such territory. “Only by keeping alive and passing on the memory to new generations can we prevent the return of these events.”
Ayan Huseynova, Urban Diplomacy Officer at the City of Dortmund, presented the tragic past of her city, whose center was 95 percent destroyed during World War II, with thousands of casualties. Her remarks emphasized reconstruction efforts and the even greater importance of “rebuilding morally, regaining trust and ties annihilated, and rebuilding the bridges.” An essential role in this dynamic was played in Dortmund by cultural, educational, and artistic exchanges with cities in former enemy countries.
The message from Dunkirk, a city known not only for Operation Dynamo but also for the bombings that destroyed 70 percent of the city and its important port, was conveyed by Océane Guillon, Head of International Partnerships at the Greater Dunkirk Council and coordinator of the Cities of Remembrance Network. She recalled the importance of solidarity in reconstruction, symbolized as much by the essential contribution of British civilians in the evacuation as by the donations received for reconstruction, including that of $1 million from the American namesake city of Dunkirk (N.Y.), anticipating the Marshall Plan, “an example of how two cities can inspire nations.”
The three city representatives aligned in emphasizing the importance of city diplomacy for peace, whose pragmatic and context-specific approach provides unique tools for dialogue, aid, and reconciliation. In the current context of multiple conflicts and wars across the world, including Europe, cities of memory renew their commitment to a message of peace based on their own firsthand experience of the universality of human suffering in war. A commitment that comes with the fervent hope of soon being able to partner with cities in nations and territories currently at war on a path of reconciliation.